Mammalian Ran-binding protein-1 (RanBP1) and its fission yeast homologue, sbp1p, are cytosolic proteins that interact with the GTP-charged form of Ran GTPase through a conserved Ran-binding domain (RBD). In vitro, this interaction can accelerate the Ran GTPase-activating protein-mediated hydrolysis of GTP on Ran and the turnover of nuclear import and export complexes. To analyze RanBP1 function in vivo, we expressed exogenous RanBP1, sbp1p, and the RBD of each in mammalian cells, in wild-type fission yeast, and in yeast whose endogenous sbp1 gene was disrupted. Mammalian cells and wild-type yeast expressing moderate levels of each protein were viable and displayed normal nuclear protein import. sbp1 Ϫ yeast were inviable but could be rescued by all four exogenous proteins. Two RBDs of the mammalian nucleoporin RanBP2 also rescued sbp1 Ϫ yeast. In mammalian cells, wild-type yeast, and rescued mutant yeast, exogenous full-length RanBP1 and sbp1p localized predominantly to the cytosol, whereas exogenous RBDs localized predominantly to the cell nucleus. These results suggest that only the RBD of sbp1p is required for its function in fission yeast, and that this function may not require confinement of the RBD to the cytosol. The results also indicate that the polar amino-terminal portion of sbp1p mediates cytosolic localization of the protein in both yeast and mammalian cells.
INTRODUCTIONProteins to be transported across the eukaryotic nuclear membrane often contain sequence motifs that function as nuclear import or export signals (Nigg, 1997). Transport requires both insoluble components, associated with the nuclear pore, and soluble components that interact with the transport cargo and/or pore. Among the soluble factors are members of the karyopherin  family, the small GTPase Ran, Ranbinding protein-1 (RanBP1), and nuclear transport factor 2 (Mattaj and Englmeier, 1998). Components of the nuclear pore complex, termed nucleoporins, have been identified by biochemical analysis of partially purified pore complexes and by genetic analysis of nuclear transport in budding yeast (Fabre and Hurt, 1997;Ohno et al., 1998). A pore component that appears to play a central role in interactions with the soluble factors is RanBP2 (also known as Nup358) (Wu et al., 1995;Yokoyama et al., 1995).Many models of nuclear transport have been proposed, and central to them all is the control exerted by Ran in regulating the association and dissociation of transport complexes, linked to the hydrolysis and turnover of Ran-bound guanine nucleotides (Koepp and Silver, 1996;Panté and Aebi, 1996;Rush et al., 1996;Gö rlich, 1997;Nakielny and Dreyfuss, 1997;Nigg, 1997;Yoneda, 1997;Izaurralde and Adam, 1998;Mattaj and Englmeier, 1998;Melchior and Gerace, 1998;Moore, 1998). The intrinsic rates of GTP hydrolysis and guanine nucleotide release by Ran are slow ‡ Corresponding author. E-mail address: deustp01@mcrcr0.med. nyu.edu. Abbreviations used: GFP, green fluorescent protein; HA, hemagglutinin; NES, nuclear export signal; NLS, nuclear localizatio...